De Jong was an unused substitute at the FNB Stadium in February where goals from Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa sealed a convincing win.
With Pirates determined to do the double over their rivals as they chase a first top-flight title in over a decade, the New Zealand international admits he is excited to experience the derby from inside the field this time.
Recalling his memories from the sidelines, de Jong, who was a January signing from Stellenbosch, said in the Citizen: “Obviously, my last debut experience, it was incredible to be there. Sitting on the bench that day and seeing the atmosphere around the stadium, and the two sets of supporters.
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“Obviously, a lot of smiles from the Pirates fans that day, it was incredible to be part of. And it’s something that while playing for Royal AM, AmaZulu and Stellies, was sort of a dream of mine to play in a big game like that.
“Hopefully I can get on the field on Sunday, so I can experience it on the pitch. It’s just an incredible game to be part of and really looking forward to Sunday.
“Both teams are in good form, so both teams have a bit of confidence going into this game. Obviously, the way the last derby went, it was a great day for the club and we’ll try to emulate that again on Sunday.”